Secondary rack



Nov. 3, 1942. G. MED. JOHNS 2,300,673

SECONDARY RACK Filed June 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. GEORGEMcD. JOHNS BY 7 ATTORNEY.

G. M D. JOHNS SECONDARY RACK Filed June 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i :{T'f {I 14 INVENTOR. GEORGE McD. JOH NS ATTORNEY.

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Patented Nov. 3, 1942 UNETED STATES OFFICE SECONDARY RACK George McD.Johns, Sappington, M0., assignor to Smithjohns, Inc., Sappington, M0.,at corporation of Missouri 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to electric line equipment and, moreparticularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in devicescommonly designed secondary racks for supporting telephone and electrictransmission lines and the like.

My invention has for its primary objects the provision of a rack of thetype and for the purposes stated which is simple, durable, and rugged instructure, which may be cheaply and economically manufactured, which maybe quickly and conveniently installed, and which comprisessupport-engaging fixtures and insulator-supporting brackets uniquelyconstructed for rack enlargement or for selective disposition of thebrackets for facile meeting practically all pole or line requirements.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides inthe novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combinationof parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings (2 sheets)- Figures 1, 2, and 3 areperspective views of, respectively, the co-operable parts or members,namely, attachment-fixture, insulator-bracket or hanger, and insulationwire-engaging spool, of a so-called secondary rack embodying my presentinvention.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of a supple mental bracket-memberuniquely co-operable with the main fixture for increasing or enlargingthe wire-supporting capacity of the rack;

Figure 5 illustrates in longitudinal section a plurality of thebracket-supporting fixtures in connected or so-called gang relation; and

Figures 6, '7, and 8 are transverse sectional views taken approximatelyalong the lines 6--5, 1-1, and 8t, respectively, Figure 5.

Referring now in more detail and by reference a characters to thedrawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, therack includes a fixture or attachment base A of oblong-rectangularchannel formation and of suitable length, as best seen in Figure 1, thebase'A being constructed preferably as a unitary casting from malleableiron or other suitable metallic material and comprising preferablyintegrally a pair of approximately parallel longitudinal or side walls Iconnected or joined at their one or upper margin by a transverse topwall 2.

Along their rearwardly presented longitudinal margins, the side walls Iare provided with narrow lateral flanges 3 and a pair of outwardlypresented apertured ears 4 for fitting upon the surface of a telephonepost or the like P. As shown particularly in Figure 5, the ears 4accommodate suitable bolts, as 4a, for convenient attachment of thefixture A to the supporting structure, as, for instance, the post P.

Preferably the base top wall 2 is forthe most part slightly arcuatelycrowned transversely of the fixture. However, preferably at or adjacentits one or so-called lower end, reference being made to Figure 1, thewall 2 is suitably thickened and thereby formed with a preferablyannular boss or enlargement 5 having a flat upper or outer face, as ata.

In turn, the top wall 2 and its boss 5 are jointly or integrally formedwith an annular series or suitably spaced recesses or openings 6. In thepresent instance, there are four such recesses or openings (-3 in saidseries equidistantly spaced; it will be understood,'however, that suchseries may include a greater or lesser number of such recesses oropenings and the spacing thereof maybe varied to meet the specificrequirements of any particular installation.

Formed preferably in and through the base top wall 2 and boss 5 in thediametrical center of the annular series of openings or recesses B, is abolt-accommodating opening or aperture 1.

At its opposite or so-called upper end, reference being again made toFigure 1, the base A is provided or formed preferably integrally with alongitudinally extending correspondingly channel-shaped tongue 8 of suchrelative dimensions as to fit and seat within the channel of a companionor second fixture A in an endwise enlargement of a particularrack-structure, the tongue 8 having an opening or aperture, as at l, inits top wall 2 for registration, in such an endwise rack enlargement,with the opening I of such companion fixture A for receiving a fasteningbolt 9 for securing said fixtures together in such associated orso-called gang relation.

Or, selectively, if it may be desired, the tongue 8 of a particular baseof fixture A may be em ployed to fit and seat within a lengthwisereduced or supplemental base A, which, as best seen in Figure 4, issubstantially identical in structure and form, except as to length andabsence of post-attaching ears, with the main fixture or base A, andwhich is similarly formed with aiia't boss or enlargement 5 and anannular series of spaced openings or recesses 6. Likewise thesupplemental base A has an opening or aperture 1" for registration, whenthe supplemental base A is seated on a tongue 8, with the tongueaperture 1' for accommodating a fastening bolt 9 for securing the base Aand supplemental base A together in rack enlargement.

Co-operable with the fixture A or with a seated or mounted supplementalfixture A, is a clevis-shaped hanger or bracket B preferably in the formof a U-shaped malleable casting integrally including a bight IO andopposed parallel legs II, I2, preferably annularly enlarged at theirfree cuter ends in the provision of insulator-receiving enlargements orso-called eyes I3, M, having registering apertures I5.

Upon its outer or rearwardly presented face. the bight I is suitablythickened in the provision of a boss or enlargement I6 having apreferably fiat outer face, as at b, and formed with an annular seriesof lugs ll corresponding in number to the, and sized and spaced forinterlocking engagement with the fixture boss at its, recess or opening6.

On its outer face, the clevis-leg II is also provided with a likeenlargement or boss I6 having a flat outer face and similarly formedwith an annular series of lugs I'I again corresponding in number to the,and sized and spaced for interlocking engagement with the fixture boss 5at its, recess or opening 6.

Upon their inner face, the hanger or bracket legs II, I2, are preferablycentrally provided longitudinally with strengthening ribs I8, and thebracket b ight I0 is preferably centrally ribbed, as at I9, forreinforcing or strengthening purposes.

Sized for fitting snugly intermediate the opposed faces of the cleviseyes I3, I4, is a spoolshaped insulator C constructed preferably ofporcelain or other suitable dielectric material and provided with anaxial bore, as at 20, for accommodating a supporting shaft 2| forprojection endwise into the registering apertures I5, and fittinglengthwise in slots or recesses, as at 22, provided in the inner face ofthe hanger-eye I4 and engaging the shaft 2|, is a locking-pin 23.

The fixture A and insulator-equipped hanger or bracket B are thusco-operatively uniquely formed for selective detachable interlocking orso-called tooth-engagement, the bracket B- either at its boss I6 or atits boss I6 being engageable through the lugs I! and opening 6 with afixture A or a supplemental fixture A, with the insulator Ccorrespondingly disposed, as may best meet requirements of the line orinstallation, at any selected angular relation to the particular fixtureA or supplemental fixture A, as shown in Figure 5, the lugs ll of theboss IE or the lugs ll of the boss I6 being engaged in any selectedangular relation of the hanger B to the particular fixture A orsupplemental fixture A, with the opening 6 of such fixture A orsupplemental fixture A, as the case may be. In such engagements, as bestseen in Figure 5, a fastening bolt 8 may be employed for both securing afixture A and a companion fixture A and a hanger B together, or afastening bolt 9 may be employed for securing a supplemental base A anda hanger B upon a single fixture A, or a fastening bolt 9 may beemployed for fastening an insulatorhanger B directly upon a fixture A.

The rack is thus conveniently and economically extensible, as well asalso substantially universally adjustable with respect to the angularityof a hanger B to the fixture or base proper of the rack. The rack indeedeiliciently fulfills and performs in every respect the objects statedand all its intended functions, and it should be understood that changesand modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts of the rack may be made and substitutedfor those herein shown and described Without departing from the natureand principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A secondary rack including a channelshaped base having aflat-surfaced portion provided with a plurality of angularly spacedrecesses, and an insulator bracket provided with a boss for fiatwisedisposition against the flat surface of the base and provided with aplurality of projecting members for snugly engaging said recesses foroptionally holding the bracket in any one of several angular positionswith respect to the base, said insulator bracket further having a secondboss at right angles to, and having the identical shape of, thefirst-named boss for optionally securing the bracket in any one ofseveral different angular positions each of which is at 98 to acorresponding one of the first-named angular positions.

2. A secondary rack including a channel-shaped base having afiat-surfaced portion provided with an aperture and a plurality ofrecesses arranged around the aperture and in spaced relation to eachother, and an insulator bracket provided with a boss for flatwisedisposition against the flat surface of the base and having an aperturefor registration with the base aperture and projecting means for snuglyseated engagement in said recesses for optionally holding the bracket inany one of several an ular positions with respect to the base.

3. A secondary rack including, in combination, a base of channel shapein section including side walls rigidly joined in spaced parallelrelation by a transversely disposed top wall, the latter being formedwith a series of openings angularly disposed the one to the other, andan insulatorbracket having a series of teeth presented outwardly from aWall thereof and correspondingly angularly disposed the one to the otherfor fitting said openings for disposing the bracket in selected angularrelation to and upon said top wall.

l. In a secondary rack, first and second bases each including side wallsrigidly joined in spaced parallel relation by a transversely disposedtop wall, the first base having a longitudinally extending tongue ofcorresponding channel shape and of relative dimensions for fitting andseating within the channel of an end portion of the second base, the topwall of the second at said end portion being provided with a series ofan nularly disposed spaced openings, an insulatororacket having anoutwardly presented series of correspondingly annularly spaced lugs forfitting in said openings, and bolt-means engaging the bracket, thetongue, and said second base end portion for detachably securing saidbases together in endwise alignment and said bracket thereupon.

GEORGE l /ICD. JOHNS.

